Mama Ichi
by the hotpocket hunter
Summary: When Ichigo defeats Ulquiorra, the Espada is chibified! How many other Arrancar will share his fate? What does the Soul Society plan to do about them? Will Ichigo go along? Now Ichi/Shiro by popular vote. Temporary Hiatus because I'm rewriting it.
1. Chapter 1

Mama Ichi

(A/N)_ I have a lot more of this story written, the chapters will be longer, and the story will be better, but I only update things if people are interested. Typing is boring. And I appreciate virtual hot pockets._

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Chapter 1

Ichigo stared in disbelief. His hollow had defeated Ulquiorra, and the defeated Arrancar's body had turned to ash, blowing away in the wind. Right? So... What was... _This_- that had been left behind.

A tiny Ulquiorra in a miniature espada uniform sat on the floor, sucking his thumb.

Ichigo sat down hard.

"What. The. Heck." he stated blankly.

"What _is_ this?" he asked no one in particular.

Just then, the baby cuarta burst into tears. Ichigo's protective instincts won over his logical reasoning and he scooped up the tiny arrancar.

"Shhhh," he soothed, with a slight purr, voice gentle as he rocked the child.

Ulquiorra slowly quieted down, curled against his chest. Ichigo rested his chin on top of his head.

Orihime and Uryuu just stared.

Ichigo's thoughts were racing.

"Orihime, can you heal me? If this is what happens when an Espada is defeated there might be more of these little guys running around."

Orihime and Uryuu kept staring.

"Orihime?"

"Oh! Sorry Ichigo! Right away!" she babbled. "Sotenkisshun, I reject!"

Uryuu stopped staring and started glaring. "You stupid Soul Reaper! You put your sword in my gut, and you're worried about your enemies! Did you hit your head or something?"

Ichigo flinched, but continued. "I need to make sure there aren't more of them, though. They're just kids now. When Nel cracked her mask she lost all of her memories. These guys could be the same. I mean, can you imagine Ulquiorra crying?"

Uryuu looked at him. Orihime was imagining. (shudder)

"You realize the Soul Society won't see it that way."

"I don't give a crap!" spat Ichigo, suddenly ticked off. He froze like a statue for a minute.

"Ichigo?" asked Uryuu. "Ichigo!"

"What?" he responded absent-mindedly.

"You just completely spaced out."

"My hollow is offering to help."

Uryuu looked shocked. "Wh-wh-what!"

"Uh-huh."

"That's..."

"Yeah. I'm going now."

"Wait!" cried Uryuu. It was too late. Ichigo and the baby espada were gone.


	2. Chapter 2

(A/N) **IMPORTANT: **_Man do I love fishy crackers. The alpha-beta thing is from another fanfic by a fantastic author. I loved the idea, so I guess this is a fanfic of an anime and a fanfic of a fanfic. I don't want to copy, but I like the ideas too much to pass them up. If you read this, I just want you to know that a lot of my stories were inspired by you. Anyway, the actual important part is a clarification._

_**READ THIS**: In my story, Aizen betrayed the Espada and retreated to Hueco Mundo. Harribel and Stark were brought down by Aizen, and Lilynette survived. So did Gio(The saber tooth guy), although I can't remember what happened to him in the canon. Aizen has the Hogyoku, the Arrancar are pretty much all with Ichigo, and Hueco Mundo is locked from the inside._

Chapter 2

"Silence!" Yamamoto slammed his staff on the floor of the meeting room. Everyone involved in the fight against the espada were assembled in the meeting hall, along with toddler versions of Grimmjow, Ulquiorra, Hallibel, Sunsun, Nnoitra, Gin, Yldfort, Tesla, Apache, Gio, Mila Rose, Syazel, Nelliel, a teenage Stark, and a baby Lilynette.

Ichigo let out a low growl, startling several captains.

The soutaicho began to speak. "These Arrancar are enemies of the Soul Society and hollows as well. They must be destr-"

"Bite me!" snapped Ichigo. "Hollow this, hollow that, don't you have anything to say that actually matters?"

"Watch your mouth, boy," warned Byakuya.

"Make me!" he retorted.

Byakuya reached for his zanpaktō. Ichigo's spiritual pressure darkened.

"Disgusting," he hissed. "You talk about your precious honor and your pride all the time. Are you telling me you can be proud of murdering children? Are you really stupid enough to think that all hollows are evil?" his voice was caustic, a far cry from his usual boisterous behaviour.

"I risked my life for you people! I show up and rescue you from whatever mess you make all the time. You think I'm your trump card against Aizen? I've got news for you. I'm not a tool, to be used and thrown away. I'm not going to let you lay a finger on any one of these kids. If you want to hurt them, you'll have to kill me first," he ground out, eyes lit up gold.

Everyone tensed. Soifon gritted her teeth.

"How dare you! Traitor! I'll kill you and that hollow scum myself!" she ground out.

Lunging forward, she struck straight at Ulquiorra, and was suddenly slammed to the floor by Ichigo's hand on her throat. She struggled feebly, gasping for air.

"Kurosaki!" shouted Yamamoto.

A snarl ripped from Ichigo's mouth. "No one touches the cubs!" he ordered, pinning the captain of the second division like she was nothing.

_Cubs? _thought Byakuya. His eyes widened slightly in realization.

"Urahara."

Said shopkeeper looked up.

"Could this perhaps have something to do with his inner hollow?" he asked curiously.

"Maybe," hummed the shopkeeper thoughtfully, before growing serious. "I'm not on board with killing the kids either, though. They're just children, after all."

Shinji jolted. "No way," he breathed.

"What is it?" asked Urahara curiously.

Shinji laughed. "Ichigo's a beta!"

All the Vizard's jaws dropped. "NANI!"

Urarhara's eyebrows went up. Snapping his fan shut, he smiled hugely. "Fantastic! Now we get to deal with a hormonal demon! Really, I should have known!"

"Sh-sh-shut up!" sputtered Ichigo.

Byakuya frowned slightly. "Please eleborate, Urahara," he commanded.

"Ichigo is a beta," he began, smirking. "In Hueco Mundo, gender doesn't matter," he began, earning shocked glances from the captains. "All hollows are either alpha or beta. Alphas are the dominants, and betas are the submissives. A beta, like our dear subsitute Soul Reaper, is equivalent to a female."

Most captains were wide-eyed at this point. Mashiro picked up the story.

"Different hollows have different instincts and purposes. For example, feline-types are built for parenting. Ichigo is a reptile-type. They're built for hunting, but generally also have strong pack-building traits. They help hold together a pack, and can provide for the cubs or queens when the pack alpha is busy claiming territory or fighting off challengers."

Shinji interrupted. "One quirk to reptile types is that they tend to carry the largest litters."

Even Byakuya couldn't keep his face passive now.

"And both males and females can get pregnant, as long as it's a beta," added Lisa.

Wide-eyed captains stood quietly.

Renji was the first to connect the dots. "Wait. That means... Ichigo's a chick!" he burst out laughing, holdig his sides.

"Uh-oh," murmured Rose.

_Wham!_

Renji was stuck to the wall, upside-down and twitching.

"Betas also have incredibly violent tempers. One of an alpha's most important jobs is keeping their beta from going on a massacre," offered Rose.

A guttural snarl ripped through the air.

"Silence!" commanded the Head Captain. "This issue is not up for debate! The hollows will be destroyed immediately!"

Several captains placed their palms on the hilts of their swords, but none made a move towards Ichigo.

"Stop! If you rile Ichigo he's likely to destroy all of Seireitei!" snapped Shinji.

"This issue is not up for debate!" barked Yamamoto. "The monsters will be destroyed now!"

Everyone jerked in surprise as Ichigo tipped his head back and howled with laughter. "Think you can take me? You'll have to catch me first!" he taunted playfully.

A senkeimon shimmered into existence behind him. He hissed aggressively, tossing Soifon into Yoruichi's arms and giving a soft huff. The vizards tensed, looking away pointedly as those glimmering gold eyes swept the room.

The little arrancar had started to move through the portal at the warning huff. Ichigo edged backwards, guarding the gate as tiny Ulquiorra lingered. Still crouched, Ichigo hopped backwards a little at a time, hissing when anyone moved too close. The tiny cuarta wrapped his arms around his neck, clinging to his back in a decidedly un-human form of a piggy-back. A few more hops, and he dove through the Senkaimon, leaving everyone behind.

The Visoreds took off only a couple seconds later, disappearing into their own Senkaimon to look for the youngest member of their pack.

The captains dispersed soon after, murmuring uneasily. Their orders? Send extra patrols to the World of the Living to locate Kurosaki. Kill on sight.


	3. Chapter 3

Mama Ichi

(A/N) Okay, sorry I haven't updated in a while. I'm hoping to get a lot more on here today. (I'm very lazy...)

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Chapter 3

Ichigo growled in frustration. He was at his wits end. In addition to his lack of sleep and food, Grimmjow and Gin had started a game of tug-of-war, with Ulquiorra as the rope. Nel and Harribel were holding Nnoitra down while Syazel and Sunsun did his hair, and Apache and Mila Rose were whispering suspiciously while eyeing a very nervous Tesla.

Running his hand over his face, he sighed. Shaking it off, he started giving out orders. "Nel, Hal, let Nnoi up. Sy, Sun, he looks fine. 'Pache, Rose, whatever you're planning you might as well give up. Tesla, go stand by Nnoi just in case."

As Tesla complied quickly, Ichigo rescued poor little Ulquiorra from Grimmjow and Gin. Scooping him up and balancing him on his hip, he said, "If you two keep pulling on his arms, you're going to hurt him. And then Ulqui and Sy get to choose what you wear for the next month."

Yldfordt snickered and moved closer to his pink-haired brother to whisper in his ear, no doubt promising humiliation for Grimmjow and Gin.

Ichigo took a short glance around the condemned apartment they were staying in for the time being, then set Ulquiorra down beside Stark, who was bouncing Lilynette in his lap. "I'm going to get some dinner, okay?"

Stark nodded. "Be careful."

"Yeah..." mumbled Ichigo as he headed out.

He glanced around casually, looking for anyone who could be a Soul Reaper._ Alright, I'd better go now, while the coast is clear._

Slipping down the alleyway silently, he stayed alert, struggling to find even a hint or reiatsu from his pursuers. Taking a deep breath, he bolted down the street, around the corner, and sprinted three blocks straight before slowing to a walk. He still wasn't used to the way American's built their towns. It was weird, and kind of random. Hurrying past shop windows, he moved just slow enough to check the reflections for anyone suspicious. Paranoia was a life saver.

He slipped into a small grocery store, away from the low-ranking Reaper he'd spotted on the roof across the street. Prayinghe hadn't been noticed, he pulled all of his reiatsu inside, carefully sealing it off from anyone who might sense it. He browsed casually, stopping here and there to admire something, eventually grabbing a basket. He grabbed non-perishables, beef jerky, canned ravioli, canned pears, a large jug of apple juice(the kids loved it, it was safer than tap water, and he could reuse the jug), and a box of crackers. Checking out, he flinched slightly at the price before handing over the cash. He worked the occasional odd job, but it wasn't enough. With a polite goodbye and a slight wave of the hand, Ichigo left the store, walking back towards their den. _What is with me? Cubs? Den? This is getting so weird,_ he thought_._ He yawned slightly and tried to pick up the pace a bit.

Tired as he was, he barely managed to dodge the sudden sword-swing. "Kuso!" he snapped, taking off, the Soul Reaper in close pursuit. He ducked down an alley only to run into a dead end._ No badge_, he thought franticly. He dropped the bag of groceries to the ground and dove towards the Soul Reaper, determined to cause some major damage. He punched the brute right in the face dropping him instantly, but wasn't expecting the powerful kick to his side. He slammed into the wall backwards, coughing up a bit of blood before leaping out of the way of the second Reaper's sword. Swearing, he rolled to the side again.

"Stop moving, traitor!" the Reaper barked, swinging again.

"Not on your afterlife!" the orangette retorted defiantly.

A loud thud echoed throughout the alley. Ichigo struggled to breath, a third Reaper's kick having hit him right in the gut. Blood soaked his hair, trickling down into his eye from where his head had collided with the bricks. He staggered to his feet, vision blurring. The second Soul Reaper came at him again, but was left groaning in pain on the cold pavement.

Ichigo grinned viciously at his victim, eyes jerking wide open when he was slammed into the wall by his throat. He struggled weakly, clawing at the hands around his neck, spots beginning to blur his vision.

King!

A far-off sounding cry nudged his conciousness slightly, but he was to tired to comprehend it. His struggling grew weaker.

King!

The voice was more insistent now, but Ichigo slowly went limp, slipping into darkness. The last thing he saw before losing conciousness was a flash of white.


	4. Chapter 4

(A/N) I'm apologizing ahead of time. Updates will be random and sporadic, with whatever I've got written or typed. I have parents that think I spend too much time on the computer, and updating takes me forever (though I've yet to figure out why, when I'm such a fast typer). I will be starting like 5 new fics (2 or 3 are already up(the 1st chapters)) but I want everyone to know that I will not stop, nor will I abandon a story without notice. Scratch that, I'll probably never drop any fics. Anyway, I'm taking so long to update because I'm building the OC to pair Ichigo with. You'll know him when you see him, though that'll probably be next chapter. Sorry this is so short, but that's just where this chapter needed to end.

**Ichigo's hollows thoughts or thought-speak to Ichigo**

_Other's thoughts, or Ichigo's thought-speak to his hollow_

Chapter 4

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Ichigo's inner hollow snarled viciously. His King was getting pummeled by Soul Reapers! That wasn't fair! He was the only one allowed to pummel his King! He flinched as another hit slammed into his vibrantly colored counterpart.

**Come on King! Ya can do better 'n that! **He gnawed his lip worriedly. The fight wasn't going well.

**King!**

When a Soul Reaper pinned his King to the wall by his throat, he'd had enough.

**King!**

Drawing on the immense well of reiatsu he shared with Ichigo and Zangetsu, he forced himself into existence beside his King, leaping on the Soul Reaper and tearing him away with an echoing snarl of rage.

"No one touches ma King an' gets away wit' it!" he threatened, crouching low to the ground between his unconscious partner and the now-fearful Reaper.

As the Reaper swung his blade down, he rolled to the side of the strike before leaping, clawing a huge gash into the shocked Reaper's chest with his fingers arched like claws.

"Ugghhh!" The Reaper choked and staggered a few steps away before collapsing, breathing wet and ragged. The hollow hurried back to his King, scooping him up gently before hurrying away.

Curled up in the under structure of a bridge, he wrapped himself around the limp orangette, murmuring softly to him. He tightened his grip when he felt the shivers start. **Don' wan' 'im ta get sick.**

After about an hour, Ichigo stirred slightly. Blinking his eyes open, he jerked in surprise at his hollow's proximity, letting out a small whimper of distress before trying to squirm away.

"Oi!" barked the hollow. "Stop wit da wigglin'! I'm not gonna hurt ya."

Ichigo struggled harder at the harsh tone of voice, fear increased in his semi-conscious state.

The hollow held him fast, trying to think of a way to calm him down before settling on something he'd seen in Ichigo's memories. He pulled him close against his chest, humming softly as he ran his fingers through bright orange locks. "Easy, Aibou, I'm not gonna hurt ya."

Ichigo seemed to respond favorably to the approach, his struggles slowing. "That's it, King, take it easy," soothed the hollow. He wondered at the warm sensation in his chest when the young Visored did as he asked, before pushing it to the back of his mind. **Hollows don' have emotions,** he reasoned.

"Ya alright now?" he asked.

Ichigo nodded shakily, before leaning in against his shoulder and clinging to the front of his shihakshou like a lifeline. His hollow sensed his discomfort.

"Wha's wrong?" he demanded,

"Sick..." was the weak response.

Swearing, he leapt jumped to the ground, right in time to keep Ichigo from throwing up all over him. As the orangette heaved, he rubbed his back gently, supporting him with a hand under his chest. When Ichigo went limp in his hold, he carried him over to the river, helping him clean off the blood from the fight. He held the nauseous teen gently, rubbing small circles on his back in an effort to calm him and ease his discomfort. After a few minutes in that position, Ichigo shifted slightly, his voice hoarse as he whispered, "Why?"

The hollow flinched at the question. "Why am I helpin' ya? Same reason I threatened ya. I don' like seein' ya hurt, King," he assured. "All those threats about crushin' ya and takin' ya body were ta make ya fight back. I needed ya ta be strong, whether ya hated me or not."

Ichigo sighed in confusion, leaning back to search the albino's face. "Why?"

The hollow shifted uncomfortably. "I jus'... It makes my chest hurt," he murmured. Ichigo blinked slowly before burying his face in the hollow's shoulder. Said hollow was startled by the motion, staring in surprise before relaxing. He understood the hint. Apparently his King forgave him."Than's King," he whispered. "Than's."

He hugged the sleeping form, tucking Ichigo's head under his chin. "It's called love."

He jumped slightly. "Huh?"

"When your chest hurts because of someone else's pain. It's called love."

He winced slightly. "Hollow's don' have emotions," he whispered.

"Some don't," was the only reply he got before he felt Ichigo slip back into slumber.

Some don't. The words rang in his head. He sighed before standing, cradling the orangette bridal-style. He had plenty of time to think on his way back to those little demons Ichigo dared to call cubs. Musing for a second, he decided to take the scenic route.


	5. Chapter 5

**Read, as part of it is relevant to you.** My wonderful fans, I am so, so sorry, both for the lack of updates and the timeskip. Hope you enjoy this, I'm leaving for a vacation soon so updates probably won't happen for a while. Don't worry, it won't be too long, and I finally got my room clean and my fanfictions organized (After I found them all.) I hope to update more often. Again, I'm sorry! Please don't kill me! Does anyone want an explanation of why Stark and Lilynette are different? I can't remember if someone asked me about that or if I'm hallucinating. Oh! Unless there is a large demand otherwise, Ichigo will be paired with an OC. In this story, he and Shiro are like brothers. I'm still building him, so bear with me, and give me ideas about how to make him. Names are important. Twins Stick Together hasn't been updated because I can't find a good name for the OC I'll end up pairing with Ichigo. HELP ME, IN THE NAME OF ALL THINGS HOLY AND FAN CREATED! Also! This is a pretty big update!

Chapter 5

Ichigo collapsed onto the sleeping bag. He, Shiro, and the brood had masked their reiatsu and he had booked a decent room for the night.

_So much for college_, he thought, annoyed.

He lay still for a moment before struggling to sit up. Stark caught his shoulder and pushed him back down. "Rest. I've got it."

"But-"

"No complaints, Ichigo. You're no use to us if you're exhausted."

"He's right ya know,"asserted Shiro.

Ichigo's inner hollow had decided to manifest permanently to protect his king better. When Ichigo's health had started to decline, Shiro had ended up taking the lead position of the pack. His desperate and instinctual devotion to caring for his cubs and the need to fight off Soul Reapers was hard on his body, especially since he was in his human form all of the time. It helped conceal his reiatsu, as did the children's gigais, a parting gift from Urahara. Both Ichigo and Shiro still retained their full range of abilities, both drawing from a joint well of spirit energy. Ichigo was a beta, but had no alpha to help him shoulder his burdens. The mindset of an unmarked beta was somewhat fragile, the beta unconciously seeking an alpha and suffering from the lack of attention. Ichigo was more independent than most, but was still barely scraping by with the kids. They stole, dumpster-dived, and in extreme circumstances, used the money from Ichigo's bank account for supplies. They tried to work odd jobs for the spare handful of cash, but they had to keep moving to avoid a confrontation with the soul reapers.

Yamamoto had been unwavering in his resolve to "Cleanse the Earth of Hollow scum", despite how upset about it most of the captain's were. Central 46 had been re-established, adding to the problem. They, too, were against the survival of the Arrancar.

Shiro sighed and walked to the phone, dialing room service and ordering a ridiculous amount of food. It wasn't like they would be there to pay for it later anyway, so why not eat while they could?

While he waited, he pondered the possibility of Ichigo finding a mate in Hueco Mundo during the next season, only a week or two from now. It would definitely be dangerous, and some alphas wouldn't take in betas with cubs, but Ichigo was incredibly powerful and had a sort of ethereal beauty. He was considered quite the catch to any hollow alpha, and would probably be doted upon, even as just a member of the pack instead of a mate. Betas and cubs were one of the most important members of any hollow pack, as surviving cubs were hard to come by and betas strong enough to defend themselves and their litters were rare and prized.

Turning back to the task at hand, Shiro took the cart of food and ushered the deliverer out. The kids scrambled from their hiding places and went after the food, tearing into it enthusiastically. Grimmjow, an alpha, was hand-feeding tiny Ulquiorra, who lacked the same aggressiveness as the other due to his beta status. Ylfordt, with his cornsilk hair and feminine looks, was definitely a beta, and, as Grimmjow's former fraccion, he was very close to him. Gin completed the group, smirking terrifyingly as he slipped a few sauce packets into his sleeve. That one had no sense of self-preservation, really. Hallibel, while female, was still an alpha and the keeper to Nel, Sunsun, Mila Rose, and Apache, who were all betas. The girls giggled and talked as they ate. Nnoitra, usually a bully, had developed a soft spot for the betas Tesla and Syazel. Stark had somehow remained a teenager instead of a child, and Lilynette had become a baby.

Shiro, noticing the sauce packets disappearance, grinned hugely. That kid was his favorite. They pranked pretty much everyone else, but Ichigo was off-limits. He couldn't cope with that kind of surprise. He'd probably destroy a building. Or several.

He filled a plate with food. Setting it on the nightstand, he gently shook his more colorful 'twin' awake.

"Shi?" he murmured sleepily.

"Dinner time aibou," Shiro explained.

"Not hungry," Ichigo mumbled.

"Ya need ta eat somethin'," argued Shiro. "Yer gonna get sick."

Ichigo sighed and relented as Shiro getly helped him up into a sitting position.

Shiro frowned. **Aibou's kinda light.**

Ichigo blinked blearily, opening his mouth to speak, and let out an indignant (but manly) squeak when Shiro popped a riceball into his mouth. _Wait, we're in America, so why is there Japanese food?_ He chewed and swallowed quickly, opening his mouth again to ask Shiro, only to have some kind of American food that tasted like potatoes stuffed in his mouth. Growling around his food, he resigned himself to the coddling.

It wasn't unusual for Shiro to hand feed him, sometimes even the cubs did it. It had begun with a particularly nasty shoulder wound, and quickly became a practice. Shiro smirked evilly, Ichigo shuddering in fear. That look never meant anything good. Shiro was actually planning to have one of the kids off Ichigo a rat or a cockroach. What a reaction that would get!

Gin noticed his pleased smirk, smile widening as he faded into the background.

* * *

After they'd eaten their fill, Ichigo decided to take advantage of the running water in the facility.

"Alright," he started. "Kids in the bath. I'll get your pajamas. When you're done, wash your dirty clothes in the sink."

He walked back to the other end of the room, grabbing an armload of tiny clothes before heading back at Stark's distressed cries. The kids had revolted, outnumbering and surrounding Stark before trying to stuff _him_ into the bath.

Laughing, Ichigo intervened. "Okay guys, knock it off or I'll cause you bodily harm."

Stark and Shiro froze in fear. Despite knowing Ichigo would never do that to the kids, the orangette never ceased to strike fear into their hearts.

The cubs (except the stoic Harribel, sleeping Lilynette, and silent Ulquiorra) all snickered at their poor "Uncle Shi's" expression before turning back to their 'mother'.

Nel, (older than in the anime, with longer hair, probably 5,6 years old) piped up. "I don' wanna bathe with the boys!"

Ichigo facepalmed inwardly. He'd forgotten about that. "Okay, girls bathe first. Boys, out!"

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Nnoitra slink out happily. "Nnoitra Jiruga, so help me, if I catch you peeping at the girls again I will let Ulquiorra dress you for a week."

Nnoitra paled with fear, hurtling out into the far end of the bedroom and facing the wall. Everyone knew how bad the tiny arrancar's fashion choices were. He _was_ only 3. And currently wearing rainbow unicorn pajama bottoms, a batman pajama T-shirt, an extra pair of rocketship underwear_ on the outside_, and a rather interesting technicolor beanie. And fuzzy rainbow-striped socks. (What an amazing mental image...)

* * *

After the kids had bathed, Ichigo managed to get them all to bed. Shiro and Stark watched in awe as he rounded up the little monsters.

"I will never understand how he does that," commented Stark, bouncing Lilynette on his lap.

"Me neither," agreed Shiro. Snickering, he changed tactics. "Ichi's a mommy!~"

"Never forget I took down half the Gotei 13."

"Yes, Ichi," Shiro pouted.

Stark stood up, weaving his way across the room before collapsing backwards into a heap of bedding.

Ichigo yawned. "I'm ready for bed too."

"No yer not, not yet," contradicted Shiro.

"Huh?"

"Ya need ta take a bath," clarified Shiro. "Ya don't exactly smell like roses."

"Smell better than you," muttered the orangette. "I'll just show-" he stopped halfway through, yawning again.

"Looks like ya need some help," offered Shiro.

Ichigo nodded, stumbling over to the bathroom. Shiro started the water, and the two undressed before hopping in, Ichigo barely awake. Bathing together was also common. Ichigo was generally too tired to do much, so Shiro ended up helping him a lot.

Shiro stopped Ichigo, who was groping for the ridiculously slippery bottle of shampoo and cursing generously. "Ah'll do it, Aibou," he whispered.

Ichigo leaned back against him as he lathered his Strawberry counterpart's hair with soap. Ichigo turned slightly, beginning to return the favor. Looking up, he saw Shiro scowling.

**Those lousy Soul Reapers jus' threw 'im out, no one even tried ta help him after the order 'cept Hat'n'Clogs. Stupid gits. Ah'll make sure ta break some more houses next time ah'm in Soul Society.**

"Shiro?"Ichigo's timid voice startled him from his rapidly darkening thoughts. "You're scowling," he explained, setting his fingers against pale lips.

His mouth twitched up a little. Ichigo was watching him curiously, amber eyes shining luminously in the darkened shower and taking on a decidedly ochre tint, head tilted to one side in a purely feline fashion.

Shiro chuckled.

"What?"

"Yer cute when yer worried, King. Yer nose gets all scrunched up.'

Ichigo blushed and swatted at him. "Am not!" he huffed.

"But ya are, Kingy," insisted Shiro playfully. Ichigo scowled jokingly at him.

The hot water felt fantastic to the both of them, but they were too tired to linger long. Getting out, they dried off and dressed, Shiro mumbling irritably as he scrubbed a towel over Ichigo's head, blinding him momentarily as he dried to get his hair dry.

Ichigo lead the way back to the bed, crawling beneath the covers, Shiro close on his heels. Wrapping his arms protectively around Ichigo, he tucked the smaller male's head under his chin, pulling him close. The last thought that ran through his head was, **Wonder what 'is friends faces would look like if they knew he was a cuddler?**


	6. Chapter 6

Okay guys: I'm really sorry I haven't updated in so long. Some things came up, and when the decision for the pairing changed I just couldn't write anything either way without asking you guys. I put up a poll. Pairings are Ichigo x Shiro or Ichigo x OC. Vote, so I can get the hell on with writing this thing.


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